This is our third Santana Adventures cycling cruise and featured eight Baltic countries; Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden. We selected this cruise because, except for Germany, we had not toured any of these countries. This 'sampler' cruise omitted Norway and Russia. Norway is a bit out of the way and is featured in its own Santana Cruise, and while Russia was on the original itinerary when we signed up two years ago, Putin's war in Ukraine meant we traded St. Petersburg for an extra day in Finland!
Copenhagen Pre-tour
We added the two-night pre-tour in Copenhagen to adjust to the time change, assemble the bikes, and spend a couple extra days in Denmark. An added benefit to this cruise, the Tour de France Grand Depart was scheduled for our embark day on July 1 in Copenhagen. It was not contemplated when the tour was scheduled two years ago, it was just lucky for us!
Ready for the next adventure!
Nice direct flight from LA
SAS Airlines had a direct flight from LA to Copenhagen, and it was on sale, so we scooped up those tickets. With all the post-COVID travel chaos, we decided to drive to LA a day early and spend time with Debby's sister Kathy before heading to Europe. Of course, the SAS Pilots' union was threatening to strike at midnight on June 29. Our flight was departing June 28, but only a few minutes earlier than the midnight deadline in Copenhagen! Luckily we departed on time, had a wonderful flight and arrived without incident!
Copenhagen was ready for the Tour!
We had some time between arriving at the hotel and the opening of the garage for bike assembly so we headed out on foot to get our bearings in the city. Our hotel was centrally located and near the Tour start/finish area and other Tour activities.
Time to assemble the bikes
I put together my bike first and did a test lap in the garage. Debby’s bike was next, but it failed the test drive. It felt like a broken spoke.
D'oh!
Worse that a broken spoke, the wheel split where one of the drive side spokes connects to the rim. It’s after 5 by the time I get back to the room and most the local bike shops were closed!
This shop had an 11 speed rim brake wheel set
We skipped the next morning’s group ride to get on the phone and look for a rim. Since it was Saturday and the Tour started on Sunday, this was our only chance to find a wheel. Luckily, our friends Larry and Kris were aware of our predicament. They started the group tour, but dropped off to check out some bike shops.
Rim brakes are rapidly becoming ‘old school’ as disk brakes seem to be the new standard. It took several tries, but Larry found a shop that had a Mavic wheel set that would work. I had called a half-dozen shops with no joy.
I put Debby’s broken wheel on my bike and headed to the A-H shop. It wobbled, but was fine for a short low speed ride to the shop. Thanks to Larry, they gave me a small discount since I only needed the rear wheel, and quickly swapped out the cassette to the new wheel and we were back in business!
Great bike trail for our shake down ride
Restaurants, bars, and a skate park!
World Famous Danish Hot Dog!
We returned to the hotel, picked up Debby and decided to take our own self-guided tour of the area and find some lunch. We happened on an outdoor collection of shipping containers turned into a dining/drinking/music venue by chance and had a great meal! It even had a skate park!
Trash incinerator
Ski Slope
Climbing wall
Returning from lunch, we noticed a tall building that looked interesting. It was! The steam was from the municipal trash incinerator. The structure was also a high rise apartment building, with a ski slope for a roof. There was no snow this time of year, but the skiers were on special skis that worked on the artificial grass. Oh, one more thing. It had a sport climbing wall that went all the way to the top of the building. World Sport Climbing championships have been held here!
Debby, Kris, and Larry
We made our way back to the hotel after a very productive morning and afternoon! I must admit, we were greatly relieved that Debby’s wheel problem was solved and we were ready to go. Thanks again to Larry and Kris for springing into action to find the wheel!
Next up was our mandatory COVID test. We headed back to the hotel bar to wait for the line to go down, it finally did and we hopped in for our test. After the test you were to linger in a waiting area until the test cleared. They kept recalling passengers, and we wondered if a bunch failed. They just needed to re-test, and everyone passed!
Wheel repair? Check! COVID? Check! We are relieved to have those potential tour ending milestones behind us and decide to head back to the waterfront area to find the restaurant we noticed when we arrived yesterday.
Even the local heroes were ready for the race!
There were Tour de France (TdF) decorations everywhere and a bunch of promotional booths were set up in a square on the way to the waterfront. We picked up some great TdF promotional hats and other SWAG. Best of all it was all free!
Pleasant curbside seating!
Fans busy painting the route
Copenhagen waterfront
The meal was fantastic, and set along a postcard perfect view of the old waterfront. We made our way back to the hotel to call this a day!
Day 1 - Copenhagen Denmark
Tdf Podium
Town Square with TdF Jumbotron
We noticed at breakfast a number of riders with very cool Tour de France jerseys celebrating the Copenhagen Grand Depart. This is the first time the TdF has started in Denmark and the local fans, and numerous visitors were very fired up.
Great TdF Jersey
The TdF popup store was out of stock and the kiosk near the start/finish was sold out. Luckily, a local sporting good store had them in stock and we snapped them up right away. Our other jerseys went into the saddlebag and we toured the city in our snappy red jerseys!
Handy course map
We used a signboard on the pedestrian mall to to find the course and make our way back to the ship for an early afternoon embark.
Making our way on the course
10km to go banner
Danish corner
To our surprise the course was open (it was still hours until the race) and we hopped on and followed along, cheered on by the fans that had staked out their spots early. Later we would discover why they were there so early. Most had provisions (some were using grills) and refreshments and were getting an early start to enjoy the race.
The first stage is an individual time trial, so each rider covers the course separated by a few minutes. Fastest around the course is the winner of the first stage! Its a great way to enjoy a stage since the action is constant, once the race begins.
We covered a good portion of the course and exited near the cruise terminal. We arrived at the embark time, along with all the other passengers and overwhelmed the ships crew! Everyone was trying to check-in and get back to the course to watch the race!
Embark line
Our home for the next 11 days
It took some time to get through the embark process, but soon we were in our cabin. No time to linger, we headed back to the course to find a place to watch the race.
The fans were 6-deep on the bridge!
Of course all of Copenhagen, and many from around the world, had the same idea. We found a bridge that had a great view of a corner before the course turned right and up into a park. The park was already swarming with fans and loud techno music. We were behind a couple of local guys, but by the time the race was going, the fans were 6 deep!
Finally one of the first riders (a Dane) rolled through to the delight of the crowd!
Rain for most of the stage!
We were able to see many of the riders on course, and the fans thinned out somewhat when the rains came. But we had to be back on the ship before all the riders completed the time trial. That was fine with us, we were starting to get a bit waterlogged and had been on our feet most of the afternoon!
High tech raingear
Star Legend
We returned to the ship for the all aboard and soon we were underway. We had dinner with Jay and Alisa (we met on the Danube tour last year) and their friends Kolin and Michele in the main dining room. As we headed out the seas became quite rough and we were really rocking during dinner. Jay had forgotten his Dramamine and was concerned about getting sea sick. We had two bottles so after dinner I made my way to their cabin to donate one to the cause. Heading back to our cabin, I had to brace against the wall a few times! That would be as rough as it would get for the remainder of the trip, and no one suffered sea sickness!
We woke up the next morning in Germany!
Day 2 - Mukran Germany
Lots of bike paths today!
Overnight the ship sailed to Mukran Germany. A full day of riding was available with morning and afternoon routes covering about 70 miles, so we hit the road right after breakfast.
Beach town of Binz
Lots of other cyclists had the same idea and the locals might have been a bit perplexed by the sudden appearance of so many American cyclists, many on tandems, and all with cruise line name tags!
Unpaved bike path leaving the Hunting Lodge
The first objective of the day was the Granitz Hunting Lodge. It was 10 miles of riding, much of it through a forest preserve. The lodge sat at the top of a ridge and after a stout climb we arrived. We spotted an outdoor cafe and decided to relax and enjoy some coffee and snacks before touring the lodge. We met a lovely German couple and ended up chatting with them and skipped the Lodge tour. Larry and Kris arrived and joined us.
They were going to ride the short loop to Sellin and I was interested in the longer ride to Gager. So I headed out for the long ride and Debby joined Larry and Kris later for the shorter ride.
Sellin Pier
Sellin was the next stop. There was an interesting Pier on the beach, but way too many steps to navigate with bike shoes, so I headed out for the 10 mile run to Gager.
Beautiful wildflowers
Short and steep
The route headed across a peninsula through fields and farm land. There was a short punchy climb over a ridge, but mostly smooth flat bike paths, with very few riders!
Gager
Gager, was a tiny beach town and the route ended at a boat ramp and marina. Not much to see so I turned around and headed back to the ship.
The route doubles back and soon I was back in Sellin. Not interested in seeing the pier again, I stopped to check the GPS to make sure I was on the right track. There were several other riders from the tour at that intersection and one was convinced we were on the wrong road. It was clear to me we were on the right way back. I must have been convincing, as I was about to head out a couple asked if they could tag along. I said sure, but I planned to ride hard to get back for lunch. They had E bikes and tagged along until we left the forest in Binz.
Back at the ship, Debby and I had a nice lunch. Since the ship would not depart until 7:30, there was plenty of time to head out for an afternoon ride, or some pool/spa time.
Jasmund National Park
A 20 mile out and back to the Jasmund National Park with about 1000 feet of climbing on great roads was the afternoon route. The weather was perfect, traffic was light, and the roads were in excellent condition.
Sassnitz bike/pedestrian bridge
There were some rough cobblestones on the climb out of the port town of Sassnitz that was interesting. On the way back, I passed under a bike pedestrian bridge that may have been a way to avoid that climb. I was ready to head back and passed on checking out bridge to test my theory.
British U Boat in Germany?
No time for this museum
This is the HMS Otus. A cold war boat launched in 1962 and decommissioned in the 1990s. It sat in a shipyard until 2002, when German entrepreneur purchased it and created this floating museum! No time for a tour, I wanted to get back and enjoy some time at the pool/spa with Debby, so off I went!
Lovely dinner at Candles
Arriving back at the Star Legend, we enjoyed our first night at the Candles restaurant terrace!
Day 3 - Bornholm Island, Ronne Denmark
Day 3 Route Map
Bornholm Island is closer to Germany and Poland, but is part of Denmark! As noted on the Santana Adventures daily route map there are many options, but because our next port will be in Lithuania we need to sail early to get there by morning. Like all Santana Adventures tours, each morning there is a 'route talk' where the daily route map is distributed and the route options explained. Meanwhile, the staff loads all the daily routes GPS tracks into our Garmin units, and we pick them up after the route talk. Then you just select the route you want to ride and get going! With the early all aboard time of 1 PM, we opted for the shorter AM and PM routes.
Mostly agriculture here; farms and forests
It was a short climb out of the port area as we reentered Denmark. Soon we were out of town and on quiet farm roads.
A great morning for a bike ride!
A bit windy on the open roads
No traffic, great roads!
Round Church
The AM and PM routes converge at the Osterlars Round Church. A round church is a church construction with a completely circular plan. There are many Nordic round churches in Sweden and Denmark (notably the island of Bornholm); round churches were popular in Scandinavia in the 11th and early 12th centuries. Services were being held so we couldn't go inside.
French press coffee and Danish cookies!
But, right next door was a farm shop boutique and coffee shop. We didn't see any items in the boutique we couldn't live without but they had coffee and fresh cookies. Best of all, the coffee was served in a French press and we spent nearly an hour relaxing in the shade as the cyclists passed by.
Excellent short-cut
Ok, maybe we lingered a bit too long. We decided to head back on the short afternoon route, but bypass the town of Gudhjem. That would save a few miles, but more importantly avoid a steep descent to the port town, and the requisite climb to return. The map showed a farm trail and we took it. It had been freshly chip sealed and was butter smooth. Good choice!
Forest sections gave relief from the wind!
Quiet pond in the forest
A bit of cross-wind heading back
As predicted the cross-winds increased throughout the day, as the route basically did an over and back across the island from Ronne City to Gudjem and back.
Nate and his entourage in tow
In a small village about 9 miles from the ship, we noticed a group of Santana riders on the side of the road. We stopped to see if they needed help. One of the riders had a rear wheel that was rubbing the frame and causing constant braking. It sounded like a broken spoke and it was. Gentle readers of this blog probably know what happened next. Lucky for Nate, he was riding a rental bike with an 11-speed wheel that was compatible with my bike. I swapped my good wheel for his and he was back in business. Since my bike can accommodate wider tires, his taco wheel wobbled, but didn't rub my frame. So I rode the taco wheel back to the ship with Debby, Nate, and his entourage in tow.
When we got back we swapped wheels and Nate took his wheel to the mechanics and was back in business the next day. I think that is at least 3 times now my Calfee Adventure has saved the day with others' broken wheels/spokes!
Ronne City from our Ship
This guy arrived to guide us out of the harbor
We had plenty of time to grab lunch and relax on the ship. A tug boat appeared outside our window as we were completing the laundry chores and soon we were on our way to Lithuania.
Day 4 - Klaipeda Lithuania (also July 4th)
Ferry ride to start the day
Two routes are on offer for today. The PM route takes a ferry to cross to the Curonian Spit. From there its about 15 miles of narrow, often unpaved bike path through the National Park. We decided to make the PM route our AM route!
Forest bike path most of the day
The Curonian Spit continues to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad Oblast. No worries we will turn around well before the security teams send us back! The trail winds through the forest and is used for access to the beaches along the spit. Its narrow, and we pull aside for fast groups, and had a few hangers-on to our wheels as well.
Great views!
We arrived in the village of Juokrante and spotted a wonderful outdoor cafe. We ordered some liquid refreshments and a local favorite, fried bread. It was fantastic. While we were there, many other Santana riders spotted the place and soon it was overrun!
Bike racks were full when we left
Roadside oddity
The thought of returning via the narrow bike lane with other Santana riders still heading to Juokrante, made us consider another route. We took the two-lane road, and traffic was light. It was the right choice. We stopped at a roadside table on the way back for a break and spotted this odd sculpture.
Views of the Baltic
On the road, we were clear of the forest and had great views of the Baltic.
Ferry ride #2
One more ferry ride would take us back to the ship for lunch.
Downtown Klaipeda
Since we selected the PM route to ride in the AM, the AM route was still undone! So while Debby chilled on the Star Breeze, I headed back out and covered most of the AM route before the all aboard call at 5:30
Paved bike path
60's East European Chic housing
Klaipeda waterfront
The route picked its way through Klaipeda before entering a large city park north of the city. From there it was high speed riding on nicely paved bike paths. To give myself a bit of time cushion, I turned around a few miles early and headed back to the ship.
Star Breeze
Cycling ghetto
Back at the ship we did our laundry and used the balcony to dry the kit. Dinner was a Fourth of July themed cookout with burgers, hot dogs, and ribs on the pool deck. We were underway and headed to Poland, it was quite breezy up there. We found a table out of the wind, and enjoyed a great barbeque feast!
Day 5 - Gdansk Poland
Our area of operations
You might wonder why we sailed from Germany to Lithuania and skipped Poland. It was because Gdansk is an extremely busy port and the ship could not get a slot in the port on Day 4. So we sailed past to Lithuania, then doubled back to Poland for Day 5. That also would make for a long journey to get to Gotland Island (Sweden) so Day 5 would also have an early 'all aboard' time of 3:30PM.
All lined up and ready to ride!
We arrived in Gdansk after breakfast and the bikes were neatly lined up for today's ride. The short ride would go to Old Town and back, about 12 miles, and the longer route would add a run to Sopot, a classic resort beach town for a total of about 30 miles. Of course, Debby was more interested in shopping in Old Town than riding so we headed into town together and I set out for Sopot.
Bike path in the industrial port of Gdansk
Crossing into Old Town
Many of the streets are closed to traffic
We split in the heart of Old Town. Santana had some staff members keeping an eye on the bikes in a park, so Debby parked her bike and explored the town while I headed up the coast to Sopot
Memorial on road to Sopot
Sopot bike path
Grand Hotel of Sopot
Sopot Beach
Sopot is a popular beach and resort town about 10 miles from Gdansk. It is a major tourist and vacation destination. The coastline here is fully developed and other than Warsaw, this area sports the highest property values in Poland! The bike path was certainly nice, nearly a two-lane road for most of the way from Gdansk. The longest wooden pier in the EU is also here. It was covered with tourists, so I decided to head back to catch up with Debby.
'Pirate' ship loaded with tourists
There is a pedestrian draw bridge that crosses the river to a peninsula where the bikes were parked. It only opens for about 20 minutes per hour, and I had to wait for it to open to get across!
Yummy pierogi samplers!
We try to sample the local fare on these trips and found a nice outdoor restaurant with a great selection of traditional dishes. These pierogis were delicious!
Cobbled shopping street
Debby had a productive shopping morning while I journeyed to Sopot. We still needed Poland stickers for the bike cases and we found some here!
Heading back to the bikes we passed a concert hall and music conservatory named for local hero Frederic Chopin. This piece was one of several up for grabs on murals around the hall!
Heading back to the ship
We met Larry, Kris, Nate and his entourage on the way back, and soon they were all in tow as we headed through the industrial port and returned to the ship.
Day 6 - Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden
We will end the tour in Sweden, but get a taste of rural Sweden on the island of Gotland. There were three riding options on offer; all loops of 27, 43 and 66 miles. We selected the 27 mile route to ride together, and with a 5:30 all aboard, there was time for me to get in the 43 mile loop as well.
Almost no traffic on these roads
Mostly farmland on this island
Many lovely local churches on the route
Gotland Sheep
A couple of Santana riders were pulled off the road checking out this herd of sheep. They are Gotland Sheep, a breed started on this island!
Landing strip?
About half-way along the first loop, the road widened with huge shoulders and was perfectly flat. We wondered if it doubled an emergency runway for the nearby airport or was a military pop-up airfield. Either way, it was nice to have so much room on a great road with no traffic.
On the coast heading into Visby
Ruins in Visby
Town Square politics
Our plan was to find lunch in Visby then head back to the ship. But the little village was overrun with a political convention. All the restaurants were packed. Even a hamburger stand had a line out the door and well into the street. We met one activist that was representing a minor political party. We thought he was interested in our vote, but what he really wanted to talk about was our bikes. Now that's a party we could get behind! We decided to head back to the ship and grab lunch there.
No line here!
We grabbed sandwiches in the lounge on board and had a nice quiet lunch, and no politics! After lunch, I mounted up and headed back out for loop#2.
Anytown USA?
Visby's port, like most we visited, are industrial ports and are very modern, even down to the American cuisine options!
Local cemetery
Miles of farmland
The medium route followed the same exit from Visby then headed back out into the countryside. It was very similar to the morning route, just covering a bit more ground.
Highway warning sign in Swedish national colors
In Poland I noticed the chevrons on traffic warning signs were red and white. I had noticed that color configuration before, then seeing the blue and gold chevrons here in Sweden, I wondered if both were keyed to each countries national colors.
Lovely farmhouse
I used the opportunity to ride at a brisk tempo pace to cover the 41 miles in about 2.5 hours. It would have been quicker perhaps, if I didn't stop so often to take a few pictures.
Sofie riding into Visby
Entering Visby, I stopped to take a photo, and Sofie rode up. Her company provides the rental bikes for most of the Santana's European tours. This was her largest rental effort, as this was the largest ship Santana had chartered. Over 100 rental bikes! She still found time to get out and ride. She was headed to the town square too so I could ignore the Garmin and follow her wheel through town.
Security checkpoint on the pier
At most ports, we would simply ride up to the ship and board. Here we had to stop and present our cruise boarding cards to clear a security checkpoint.
Lunch #2 - Room service!
Too late for lunch and too early for dinner? We tried the 24 hour room service and it was great!
Day 7 - Ventspils Latvia
We woke as the ship was entering the industrial port of Ventspils Latvia. Our route would takes us on a short loop past old town before heading into a natural park and then into the countryside.
X-rated cow?
Leaving the ship we were treated to a Cow Parade. What's that? An international public art exhibit. Fiberglass cow shapes are painted by local artists. This one was a bit racy!
Nautical buoys
There were several nautical displays as we left the port. This one was the most colorful!
Nature park
Soon we were on an unpaved bike trail through a nature park. It was wide, well packed, and smoother than some of the paved paths we had experienced so far.
Highway strawberry stand
Leaving the park we headed onto a relatively busy highway that had only intermittent shoulders. Better than most by US standards, but we had become accustomed to low traffic farm roads. Since all the routes started together, we had decided at breakfast to make a game time-route decision. Many riders took the short route back to get off the road and have more time in the local science museum. We decided to take the medium route of 30 miles.
We spotted this strawberry stand and pulled over. It was 3 Euros for a kilo of strawberry's. How much is a kilo? Who knows, but he sold us this small container for 1.5 Euros! They were fantastic but too many for just the two of us. So we offered them to passing Santana cyclists and soon they were gone!
Near Zurns hunting lodge
Many bird nests along the highway
The turnaround gave us a few miles of country road
Traffic chevrons in Latvian colors!
Venta River
Heading back the way we came, we found a nice pull out to view the Venta River and take a little break before the our next stop at a windmill/coffee house!
Windmill coffee stop
The Windmill coffee shop was also the turn-around for the shorter loop. Many of the riders had taken the shorter route, so by the time we got there many of the riders had already passed through.
Enough selfies already!
We enjoyed some local pastries and coffee before heading back to town.
Ventspils Science Museum
The route took us past the Ventspils Science Museum, which was included in our tour.
We decided to pass and head into Old Town to find an ornate church we spotted from the ship as we sailed into town.
Another visit to the Cow Parade
Before reaching old town, we caught more of the Cow Parade!
Orthodox Church
Standing room only
It took several tries, and we were about to give up on our search, but we found the church! It was on lovely grounds and lucky for us it was open and we were able to go inside. It was quite spectacular and the volunteers inside were very welcoming. They had a small gift shop and Debby bought a nice little icon to show our appreciation!
Coal Terminal in Ventspils and pilot boat
Ventspils has one of the largest coal terminals in Europe. It mostly deals in Russian coal, so the port was not nearly as busy as it would normally be. The seas leaving the port became somewhat rough, so we were treated to an entertaining disembark by the harbor pilot! The local pilot boards the ship outside of the harbor and disembarks when we reach open water.
Today with the rough seas it took several tries for the pilot to literally jump onto the pilot boat while we were underway! With the pilot safely aboard the pilot boat, it came about and headed back to port as we sailed toward Estonia. Larry took this video of the process a few days earlier in calmer seas!
Day 8 - Tallinn Estonia
Arriving in Tallinn
After a week of picture perfect weather, the rain finally caught up with us in Estonia! we arrived mid-morning in the capital of Estonia. Today a shuttle bus was available to get us to old town. Debby elected to make it a rest day and skip the available ride and take an early bus to do some shopping.
High tech rain cover
There was a bit of a chill in the air, so a base layer of Smartwool, watch cap, and gloves were in order for the morning! The shower cap in our cabin was a perfect fit for an affordable helmet rain cover!
Agriculture museum
The cruise terminal was modern and huge. It was quite a distance just to get to the shore. The rain was moderate to heavy as I rolled through town. I even stopped to put on the rain legs! There was a wide bike path through town along the shoreline. Reaching the edge of town the route joined a highway for a tour of farms, forests, and beach homes! The first sight (after the rain began to lighten up) was an agriculture museum. These guys also put on their wool this morning!
Bike path adjacent to the highway
Home over looking the sea
The roads were in fantastic shape. On the main roads, there was a bike path or dedicated bike lane. The route also went through some residential areas with beautiful homes.
Shoreline with Tallinn in the distance
Bike path in wooded park
Shoreline park
The route followed the shoreline from town, and part-way along a peninsula before crossing over and back. On the return, we exchanged a few miles of city riding for more bike paths in a city park. It was heavily wooded and was nice to be out of the traffic. The rain was easing and it was easier to take pictures without my phone's touch screen locking up!
Church in old town
Back to the ship through the cruise terminal, I cleaned up and headed back out to meet Debby in old town. The shuttle bus dropped me at the end of old town furthest from the ship. Debby found me and we headed to the main square to find some lunch.
Nice lunch in Tallinn
Market in main square
Band with folk instruments
We found the main square and a restaurant with local specialties. They had covered outdoor seating with heaters to take the damp edge off. The rain stopped and we enjoyed a nice lunch and the local entertainment in the square.
1/2 of Route 66?
We were not looking for an American Diner, and already had lunch, but its good to know there is one in Tallinn Estonia! There is a US Route 33, but its goes from Indiana to Virginia, and we had not heard of it. It is only 709 miles compared to the more famous Route 66 that covers 2,448 miles!
No bull!
Flower shops just outside old town
After lunch we continued to wander around old town and enjoy the cooler and drying conditions. No need to try and get back to do laundry, nothing would dry on the line today.
Military helicopters near the cruise terminal
One of 7 new luggage stickers!
We walked back to the ship well before the all aboard call of 10:30pm to call this a day!
Day 9 - Helsinki Finland
Helsinki
Uspensky Cathedral near the cruise terminal
Many islands!
We arrived in Helsinki early in the morning and were able to catch some photos as we sailed into town! The forecast was for light rain and while the roads were mostly wet, we missed most of the showers! Our smaller cruise ship was able to dock in old town and our route took us to the edge of town and back.
City bike paths
Award winning bike bridge
One of many bridge crossings
Coffee shop
Leaving old town, the route took us through a large city park that had a great coffee shop. It was a perfect time for a break and the hot coffee really hit the spot on this damp morning.
We continued through the park to the Olympic Stadium in town before heading out for a loop through suburban Helsinki.
Urban bike lane
City riding
Lovely parks
Wooden bike bridge
The loop alternated between city, suburban and park riding. You never knew what would be around the next bend, it was a great route!
Modern Bike bridge
Big city bike path
After crossing the 'award winning' bike bridge a second time, we returned to the ship on a more direct route through town. We cleaned up and headed back out on foot to explore the city and find lunch.
Traditional Finnish restaurant
Ground (traditional) and Reindeer Filet
We found a traditional Finnish restaurant across from the capitol building and had our most adventurous meal, and one of the best meals of the trip. Appetizers of fish, cheese, reindeer and bear sausage. Followed by a second small course of bear stew. Finally two reindeer dishes. One ground in the traditional way and one filet served with potatoes, cranberry, and vegetables. We were so stuffed, we had to pass on a traditional dessert!
Island hotel, with ferry of course!
Passport control!
We wandered through town and made our way back to the ship for our 4:00 pm departure. With the long days there was still plenty of light as we sailed past many islands to reach the Baltic sea.
Day 10 - Turku Finland
We were treated to a second day in Finland to replace the originally scheduled stop in St. Petersburg. It was a treat to ride and experience Turku, quite a contrast to Helsinki! After two days of wet weather, the skies cleared and it was perfect for our last day of riding.
First bridge crossing
Our route was a smash up of the short and long routes on a "Three Island Tour." Leaving the city, we were in beautiful farm land with excellent roads, most of which had adjacent bike paths.
Typical bike path
Bridge crossings made great photo opportunities
Randonneuring motto!
One last bridge before ending our ride
Turku Castle
The Turku Castle was near the port and available to tour. We were hungry and decided to head back to the ship to pack the bikes and get some lunch.
Great outdoor dining at the Grill
After lunch, I headed down to the dock to pack the bikes and get ready for our disembark in Stockholm. With the bikes packed, all we had to worry about was if the SAS pilot strike would end in time for our departure in three days time!
Rock festival on the banks of Ruissalo Island
We returned to the room to begin the packing process. We would pack a bit, then hang out on the balcony as we floated by many Finnish islands. We were treated to competing rock bands at two concert venues only several hundred meters apart!
Boat houses match the main houses
At first glance, we wondered why there were tiny houses dotted along the shoreline. As we passed openings in the trees, we could see they were boat/beach houses decorated to match the main house just a bit further from shore!
Leaving Turku
We sailed out of Turku, and passed many islands before reaching open water for our final overnight voyage to Stockholm Sweden.
Day 11- Stockholm Sweden
We disembarked and piled on tour buses to the main post-tour attraction, the Vasa Museum. The museum features the sailing ship Vasa that was completed in 1628. It was not at all seaworthy and sank in the Stockholm harbor, only a 1000 meters after it was launched! It sank into the muck at the bottom of the harbor, where it sat for years. Lucky for it, the place it sank was very polluted and lacked oxygen that would support sea life that would consume it. It was raised in 1961, nearly intact, and treated continually with polyethylene glycol in a temporary exhibit. The chemicals seeped into the wood as the water evaporated and stabilized the structure!
Bow of the Vasa
The current museum was completed in 1990, and over 25 million visitors have passed through. There were many interesting exhibits and we spent several hours there! After lunch we took the bus to our final group lunch in a downtown restaurant near our hotel. We checked in after lunch, and waited for all our bags to arrive from the boat. Of course our last bag was on the last cart, but at least they all made it!
We purchased Hop-on Hop-off bus tickets and spent the next two days touring Stockholm.
Heading to old town via the Palace
Changing of the guard
Parliament building (Riksdagshuset)
Great Ruben sandwich
Many statues of Kings!
Grand Hotel
Park near Nordic Museum
'Rodeo Drive' of Stockholm
Kungstrad gardens
36 hours before our departure, the SAS pilots were still on strike and we received a text from SAS informing us our flight home was cancelled. The rest of the message basically said; 'you are on your own, we're too busy to help!' We sprung into action and were able to book flights on Air France/American through Paris to get home. We had a long overnight layover in Paris, so we added an extra night at the Paris Airport Hilton. With our arrangements finalized we headed back to old town to a traditional Swedish restaurant for dinner.
Old Town
Happy we have flights home!
It was another great meal on a lovely outdoor patio. Returning to the hotel, we received another text from SAS; they had rebooked us on another SAS flight through Copenhagen. Apparently it was one of a few that were still flying with replacement pilots. We could take their offer and risk another cancellation and/or the chaos at the Copenhagen airport where thousands were stranded, or take a refund for the unused portion of our SAS ticket. It was an easy choice, and we took door #2 to Paris on Air France. Our return started with an early evening hop to Paris. So we had one more morning to tour Stockholm.
City Hall
View from the City Hall tower
City council chambers
Ornate hallways
Mosaic depicting Stockholm history
We checked our luggage with the bellman and used our last morning in Stockholm to tour the City Hall. It was a great, and relaxing way to end the tour. We returned to the hotel, collected our bags, and started the journey home. We arrived home only one day late, and with all our bags!
Our third Santana Adventure was in the books. Next week we head to Australia. We booked the Australia Santana Adventure over three years ago. With COVID lockdowns and shipyard delays, the first Santana Adventure we booked will be our fourth with Santana! It has been a crazy few years!
Hope you enjoyed the tour of the Baltics, we'll see you 'down-under' soon!
